Berkman wants Clemens in Astros’ rotation

I agree with Lance Berkman that the Astros should welcome Roger Clemens if he wants to pitch for them this season.

As long as Clemens pitches at a discount, the Astros would be silly to turn the 11-time All-Star away. It’s not as though their rotation is loaded. Moreover, Drayton McLane and the rest of the Astros’ organization cannot act as though they don’t want any part of players who have been tied to the use of steroids or Human Growth Hormone. They may be right that they didn’t know exactly which players would be mentioned in the Mitchell Report, but everybody in baseball knew about certain players who were rumored to use steroids or mentioned in previous public discussions.

We’re all adults here. Let’s not pretend some past Astros players or stars haven’t taken steroids. Remember what percentage of players Ken Caminiti gave when asked how many players in baseball were using steroids? Where do you think Caminiti got some of those numbers?

I wish there weren’t any blemishes on game I love and the game that has helped me feed my family as I made a career as a baseball writer. But I believe those around baseball that say only a small fraction of the players who used steroids or HGH were mentioned in the Mitchell Report.

The object now is to try to win against other teams who have players who used steroids and HGH. I believe every team in baseball has some former steroids users, so let’s not act as though the Astros are any worse or better in that regard.

As George Mitchell suggested on Dec. 13, let’s move on and try to clean up the game instead of trying to looking backward.

“I hope he comes back and pitches for us,” Berkman said two hours before Clemens arrived at the club’s minor-league complex. “You can quote me on that, too.”

Do you agree with Clemens?

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Attorney Rusty Hardin appeared much more concerned about the NBA’s Rockets than his prominent client who is known as Rocket, Roger Clemens.

Hardin, a long-time courtside season-ticket holder of the Rockets, was quite disappointed Tuesday when he learned that Rockets center Yao Ming had suffered a season-ending injury.

“That kills me,” he said. “That’s the worst news I’ve had in weeks.”

Those comments are interesting from a man who might receive a letter any day now from the Justice Department seeking to investigate whether Clemens lied under oath to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

“Roger’s doing fine,” Hardin said. “He just has to put up with (Committee chairman) Henry Waxman. He doesn’t have a stress fracture. I’m just worried about Yao Ming.”